Fashion Faux Pas
by Jade Leaf Forest
Summary: Mimi needs a new outfit for tomorrow and wants some advice, but Sora is busy. Good thing her boyfriend isn't. Mimi & Yamato friendship.


**Written for hellyeahayumichan on Tumblr (a.k.a. ayumi-nightbeauty). Her prompt was Mimi and Yamato getting into an argument with Sora being reluctantly dragged in. I didn't really manage the first part, but hopefully you still enjoy it anyway.**

 **Takes place sometime during high school after Mimi comes back from America.**

* * *

 **Fashion Faux Pas**

Mimi was practically skipping as she browsed the windows of each clothing store. In stark contrast, Yamato followed along at a much more morose pace, hands shoved deep into his pockets, displeasure evident. Yamato had yet to figure out why Mimi had felt the need to drag him halfway across the city for clothes shopping, but his mood had quickly soured when he realised this would probably take all evening.

Suddenly, Mimi's eyes brightened and she pointed towards one of the shops enthusiastically before stepping inside. Unable to suppress a sigh, Yamato resigned himself to his fate and stepped in after her.

The store was full of cute dresses and tops in various pastel shades. Yamato couldn't help but feel uncomfortable walking between the clothes racks. He nearly jumped when a sales assistant politely walked up to him.

"Is there anything I can help you with? A gift for your girlfriend, perhaps?"

Yamato felt his face heat up with embarrassment. He awkwardly pointed towards Mimi.

"Uh… no, I'm with her."

The shop assistant smiled at him pleasantly before walking over to another customer who had just walked in. The awkwardness he felt intensified and Yamato wondered if he should have made something up. Sora might have received a nice gift for it and he wouldn't have to stand around feeling completely out of place while Mimi continued browsing.

Moving closer to her so that no one thought he was just standing around on his own, Yamato noticed the top Mimi had pulled from one of the racks. He frowned, the uneasy feeling he'd had when Mimi had persuaded him to accompany her was returning quickly.

She held it up to her chest and smiled at him, although the smile looked forced – a rarity for Mimi. "What do you think?"

Yamato blinked stupidly, not quite understanding what she was asking of him.

"You want my opinion?"

"Do you think it's something Sora would wear?"

"Sora?" Yamato asked, becoming more and more puzzled. "You want to buy Sora something?"

"No, I want an outfit that will make people take me seriously! Everyone respects Sora and some of her outfits look so professional…" Mimi trailed off, looking down at the plain dress shirt. "I thought I'd copy her style."

Yamato pinched the bridge of his nose, realisation dawning on him. "Then why didn't you ask Sora to come with you?"

"I did," Mimi countered. "But she's got practice tonight and I need something for tomorrow. I figured as her boyfriend, you'd know what kind of clothes she wears."

"You dragged me across Tokyo because I'm Sora's boyfriend."

"Sora's boyfriend, who is observant enough to know what his girlfriend wears," Mimi corrected.

Yamato glared, not sure how insulted he should be by that statement. He looked again at the top Mimi was holding and grabbed it out of her hands without a word, shoving it back onto the rack. He glanced around the shop and found something that caught his eye.

It was pale pink with elegant frills around the neck (nothing too much, but just enough so it didn't look completely plain) and a small frill edging on the ends of the cuffs. Mimi smiled as she took the shirt, obviously admiring the design. However, her smile soon fell.

"But Sora wouldn't wear this."

"Unlikely, but you like it, don't you?"

Mimi pouted at him and went to put it back. "The point of you being here is to help me dress like Sora."

"You and Sora are completely different people," Yamato countered with a shrug, directing his gaze around the shop. "Why would you want to try to look like her?"

Yamato glanced back to Mimi just in time to see her hand still, preventing herself from putting the shirt back completely. She pulled it out again to look at it properly, worried frown on her face. Yamato spoke again before she could think too much.

"How about this: pick out a couple of other shirts _you_ like and we can send pictures of you wearing each one to Sora. She checks her phone during breaks so we shouldn't have to wait too long for a response and she can recommend what you should wear with it. That way you don't have to worry about relying on my opinion."

Mimi continued to stare ahead of her long enough that Yamato began to worry. He was about to call out to her when she nodded her head.

"All right, but I'd rather you pick them."

Yamato raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

Yamato took Mimi's silence as permission and began wandering around the shop, looking at the blouses and tops. He pointedly ignored the shop assistant staring at him with suspicion. A few minutes later, he returned to Mimi with two more shirts. The first one was pale green with leaves embroidered along the shirt and vines connecting each one and coiling haphazardly around the sleeves. The second was one he was certain Sora would choose for herself, but probably wouldn't suit Mimi as well. It had an open neck, was a pale bluey-purple colour and would require a nice pair of cufflinks.

Mimi eyed the other two shirts sceptically, but tried them on nevertheless. Each time, she would step out from the changing rooms and Yamato would take a picture. He sent the photos to Sora with an apology at the start. Yamato felt much more comfortable with Sora offering advice.

"Has she texted back yet?" Mimi asked, peering over his shoulder to look at the screen, the three shirts clutched tightly in her hand.

"Not yet," Yamato replied. "We might want leave the shirts with the cashier and find somewhere to get a drink, since I'm not sure when Sora'll go on her next break."

The shop assistant seemed happy enough to keep the shirts aside, although warned that if they weren't back in half an hour she would need to put them back out on display. The two wandered to the nearest café with Mimi insisting that she would pay for both of them. Eventually, Yamato gave in, realising it wasn't a battle worth fighting.

"Thanks for coming along with me today."

"So what is this event you're going to tomorrow?"

Mimi took a sip from her drink and winked at him. "It's a secret."

Yamato snorted and sipped his drink, his eyes wandering over the rest of the café's patrons.

"Are you at least going to tell me why you decided you needed a new outfit a day before the event?"

Mimi remained silent and Yamato glanced back at her from the corner of his eye. He took another sip of his drink, giving her time to gather her thoughts. Mimi's grip on her drink tightened. She stared at the surface as the ripples bounced from side to side.

"I don't want to stand out for the wrong reasons."

Yamato turned to face her completely and sat back in his chair, drink in hand resting on his thigh.

"I know I've always worn different styles compared to my friends, but some of the stuff I wear now is too…"

"…flashy?" Yamato suggested when the silence lingered a little too long.

"…American," Mimi corrected, her shoulders hunching over in shame. "Last week someone walked up to me and started speaking in English. Sometimes I feel like a foreigner in my own country."

Yamato took a long drink to gather his thoughts. "You shouldn't get rid of the traits you picked up in America just because of what a few strangers think."

"And I'm not, but… sometimes I want to stand out for other reasons."

"At most events, I find standing out in any way is a good thing. Even if it's negative at first, just having your name or face remembered is a start."

Mimi pouted. "Do you _know_ how funny some people still get about foreigners in this country?"

Yamato raised an eyebrow silently and watched as realisation dawned on Mimi's face. Her hands immediately moved to cover her mouth.

"I'm so sorry!" She dropped her head and slowly clasped her hands around her drink. "That was really insensitive."

Yamato shrugged. "Sometimes old people are still rude to me, but with the Internet connecting people more than ever, our generation doesn't mind so much. It's definitely gotten better.

"One thing I do know is that many people remember what I look like, so even if we haven't properly met they still know who I am. Besides, I thought you were someone who would enjoy standing out."

Mimi silently took another sip of her drink and nearly spilled it over herself when Yamato's phone buzzed on the table. Before she could grab it, Yamato picked it up and sat back in his seat.

 _I can't believe I'm agreeing to this. You owe me. Find out Mimi's opinion on them first because I can work with all three. If she's going for something a little toned down and professional she should wear grey and some dark grey or black shoes or cream trousers with cream or brown shoes for something fresher. I really like the third shirt, but it seems a little plain for Mimi. You mind getting one in my size?_

A smile slowly made its way to his face and he glanced up at Mimi, who looked decidedly nervous for someone who was just out clothes shopping.

"Which one did you like best?"

Mimi puffed up her cheeks in exasperation. "What did she say?"

She made a grab towards his phone, but Yamato easily leaned back in his seat to avoid her. He grinned. "I'll tell you if you answer the question."

Mimi sat back in her chair with a huff, but her expression soon became contemplative. "I think the green one was my favourite. I saw it when I was looking through the shop window. It reminds me of Palmon."

Yamato smiled. He'd picked it for a similar reason. Slowly he put his phone on the table and slid it towards her. Mimi read the message and Yamato watched the corners of her lips turn upwards.

"You just wanted me to model the third top, didn't you?" She asked, handing Yamato's phone back to him.

Yamato stood up with her and began walking towards the shop.

"It was the easiest way to show you that you and Sora look good in different things. Plus I figured I would owe Sora for disturbing her in the middle of practice, so I wanted you to try it on to make sure she liked it."

"Doesn't that ruin the surprise?"

"Sora and I have been dating for three years," he replied matter-of-factly. "Surprises are nice, but she'd rather I gave her something she likes and I'm not comfortable enough to shop for her clothes yet."

The two went back into the shop and Yamato switched the third top for something in Sora's size. In the end, Mimi decided to get both the pink and the green shirts.

* * *

"You'll tell me how the event goes?"

It was already dark by the time the two had made their way back to Odiaba, so Yamato offered to walk Mimi home.

Mimi nodded. "And if you ever need a female vocalist for one of your songs, I'd be happy to help."

"I'll take you up on that offer sometime."

Yamato waved goodbye to Mimi and stayed long enough to watch her enter the elevator to her apartment. Readjusting the shopping bag into his other hand, Yamato began making his way home.

"Sounds like you had an eventful afternoon."

Yamato turned to see Sora standing with her tennis bag hung over one shoulder. She walked forward and took his hand. She had obviously come straight from practice.

"Thanks for replying. I wasn't sure if my choices were any good and I had no clue what she'd wear with them."

Sora laughed. "It's fine. Practice was a little frustrating today, so focusing my mind on something else during the break calmed me down."

They reached her apartment door and Yamato held out the bag. "I think I got your size right, but I can go back if necessary."

Sora accepted the bag from him and kissed him softly on the lips. "I should do favours for you more often if I get rewards like this."

Yamato chuckled nervously. "Don't get too used to it. I can only afford so much."

Sora turned and Yamato looked up as the door opened to reveal Mrs Takenouchi with a bemused smile on her face.

"Are you kids coming inside?"

Sora blushed, but Yamato just shook his head in response.

"Dad's coming home at a reasonable time tonight, so I promised I'd cook. In fact I'm kinda already running late."

"All right, but tell your father that you two are welcome over any time."

Yamato nodded and began walking away, reassuring them that he would consider the offer sometime. In the elevator, he looked down at the clock on his phone and cringed a little. His father was probably waiting at home wondering where Yamato was. Oh well, he'd just tell his dad that some crisis came up in the Digital World. Yamato leaned back against the wall as the elevator moved to his floor. At least he was going to sleep well tonight.

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 **Thanks for reading! I'm currently accepting any friendship related prompts, so if you'd like me to write something message me here or on Tumblr a couple of characters from Digimon Adventure with a prompt (can be as vague or detailed as you like) and I'll try writing a little friendship fic based around them. Although, if my last two responses are anything to go by, I may only take parts of your prompt for inspiration.**


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